Latching device



MWF/vra@ CHA/2L 5 A/N Fox c. A Fox 4LATCHING DEVICE med- Dec. 24, v1941oct; 5, 1943.

locking element being mounted on said pivot rod for oscillating movementwith respect thereto. The locking element I is of U-shapedformation,said locking element comprising a bridge portion Ia and spaced apartwalls Ih and Ilc which extend from opposite side portions of saidbridgeportion. The locking element lll has associated with it a torsional coilspring I2, the coiled portion of said torsional coil spring surroundingthe pivot rod II between the walls Iiib and Illc of the locking elementI and the opposite end portions of the torsional coil spring contacting,respectively, with the displaced portion y4 of the bracket structure 2and the bridge portion I a of the locking element I 0 as shown to thebest advantage in Fig. 3. The spaced walls Ib and IDc of the lockingelement ID are provided with arcuate edges Illd and with straight edgesIlle which extend from ends of said arcuate edges to rectangularextensions If through which the pivot rod II extends, the wall Ilicbeing slightly shorter than the wall Iilb so that its straight edge Illeis spaced inwardly of thel straight edge IIle of the wall Ib (see Fig.3).

'I'he locking element I!) has connected thereto an operating rod I3which extends through the tubular member I and beyond the outer end ofsame, as shown in Fig. 3. The operating rod I3 is provided at its innerend with a curved portion I3a of substantially semicircular formationfrom which is extended a portion I3b which is projected through anaperture I4 formed through the wall Ib of the locking element I When thelatching device is being assembled the portion I 3bA of the operatingrod I3 is straight throughout its length so that said portion may bepassed through the aperture I4, but after said portion I 3b has beenpassed through the aper ture I4 of the wall II'Ib of the locking elementIF), the outer end portion of said rod portion I3 is bent over asindicated at I3c in Fig. 4. Thus the operating rod I3 and the operatingelement l0 are pivotally connected together, and because a portion ofsemicircular portion I 3a of the operating rod I3 and the bent overportion I3c of said operating rod contact, respectively, with portionsof the opposite faces of the wall Ilib of the locking element ID whichare located adjacent to the aperture I4 formed through said wall Ib, theportion I3b of the operating rod is prevented from moving inwardly oroutwardly relative to the aperture I4 through which it extends.

Supported partially within the opening 8 o'f the knob 1, for slidingmovement therein, is a button I5, the outer end portion of which isnormally projected beyond the outer curved face of saidv knob as shownin Figs. l, 2, and 3. The button I5 has formed therein an opening Iwhich is open at the inner face of said button, and alined with saidopening I6 is an opening I I of smaller diameter, there being anannular, inclined wall I8 joining the openings I6 and II. Likewise theIopening II has alined therewith an opening I9 which is of less diameterthan the opening I l, and said openings II and I9 are joined by anannular inclined wall 20. The outer end portion of the operating rod I 3is extended into the opening I9 of the button I5, as shown in Fig. 3,the diameter of the end portion of said operating rod and the diameterof said opening I9 being such that tight gripping contact is providedbetween the wall of said opening I9 and the outer face of the endportion of said operating rod when said opening I9 is forced over saidend portion of the operating rod. Thus the button I5 is sev curely fixedto the outer end portion of the operating rod I3 so that it may not beundesignedly detached therefrom.

The housing B is provided with a keeper 2! which may be of any desirableform, such, for instance, as the staple-like element shown in Figs. 1,3, and 5, which is driven into a portion of the housing B at the properlocation. The keeper 2| is engaged by the outer edge of the bridge wallIlla of the locking element IIJ, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to lock thedoor C in its closed position, the button I5 being depressed withrespect to the knob 'l to rotate the locking element I0 about its pivotII, against the force exerted by the torsional coil spring I2, towithdraw the edge of the locking element I0 from engagement .with thekeeper 2| so as to permit the door C to be swung open. The door C may beclosed by holding the button I 5 in a depressed condition so as tomaintain the locking element I0 in its retracted position until the doorreaches its closed position when the button may be released to permitthe torsional coil spring I2 to move the locking element I0 outwardlyinto engaging relation with the keeper. Also the door C may be moved toits closed position without depressing the button I5, the lockingelement Ii) being cammed inwardly by contact of the inclined bridge wallI0a thereof with a portion of the structure B at the door opening ofsaid structure and said locking element snapping into engagement withthe keeper 2I when the door C reaches its closed position.

It is to be noted that the bent over portion I3c of the operating rod I3is disposed within the opening 5 formed in the wall 2b of the bracketstructure 2. 'Ihis arrangement provides stop means which limits movementof the locking element I@ in opposite directions, the bent-over portionI3c of the operating rod I3 abutting against opposed portions of thewall of the opening to limit movement of the locking element in oppositedirections.

The task of installing the improved latching device in association witha door is extremely simple and is accomplished without the use of screwsor other fastening devices ordinarily employed for securing latchingdevices in place. The installation of the latching device isaccomplished by merely forming the opening I' through the door andpassing the tubular member I through said opening to bring the bracketstructure to its proper position at the inner side of the door where thetangs 3 are forced into the material of the door. The esoutcheon plate Bis then arranged in place and the knob 7, with the button I5 removed, isscrewthreadedly applied to the tubular member I. The button I5 is theninserted into the opening 8 ofthe knob I and its opening I9 is forcedover the end portion of the operating rod I3 so thatfsaid button will berigidly xed to the operating rod I3, the in- It is important to notethat the tubular mem@ ber Iis of sufficient length to pass through doorsof various thicknesses, the excess length of said tubular member beingextended into the opening 8 of the knob 'I as shown inFig. 3. Also, theoperating rod I3 of the improved latching device as manufactured andsold isr of the maximum length,l and when the latching device is appliedto a thinner door the excess length of the op` erating rod is nippedoff, with the aid of a suitable tool, iiush with the outer curved faceof the knob 1. Additionally, it has been stated herein that the spacedWall Ic of the locking element I is of less length than' the companionspaced Wall IiIb so as to locate the straight edge Ie of said spacedrwall Ic 'inwardly of the 'straight edge IUe of the spaced wall' IDU.This arrangement is followed merely to facilitateI the task ofconnecting the inner end portion of the operating rod I3 to the wallIllb` of the locking element I0 by providing suicient room for therequired operation. I claim: 1. A latching device comprising-anexternally screwthreaded tubular member adapted to be extended throughan opening formed through a door, a bracket structure fixedtosaiditubular member at the inner end thereof, alocking elementpivotally supported by said bracket strueture, an operatingrod attachedto said locking element, said operatingrod including a portion whichextends through an aperture, formed through a wall portion of saidlocking element and rod portions at opposite sides of the apertured wallportion of the locking element which prevent disengagement of theoperatingvfrod from said locking element, one of said rod portionscomprising a substantially semicircular rod portion located at onefsideof said apertured Wall of the locking element and ythe other rod portionbeing a bent over end portion of the operating rod Which is located atthe ropposite side of said apertured Wall portion, a -knobscreW-threadedly supported yby said tubular member, and a buttonattached to said operating rod and supported by said knob `formovementwith respect thereto, said button being adapted to be depressed relativeto said knob to subject y said locking element to pivotal movementthrough movementof said operating rod. 2. A latching device vcomprisinganV externally screwthreaded tubular member adapted to be extendedthrough an opening formed through a door, a bracket structure iixed tosaid tubular ported by said tubular member, andra button atalined`openings which guide said end portion of the operating rod into saidsmaller opening, said said button being provided With a plurality oralined and communicating openings of diierent y v diameters the smallerof which is forced over on an end portion of said operating rod toprovide tightfrictional engagement rbetween the button and fsaid endportion ofthe operating rod and said button being provided with annularinclined `wall portions Vbetween certain of said button being adapted tobe depressed relative to said knob to subjectsaid locking element topivotal movement through movement of 'said op-,j v

erating rod.

3. A latching device comprising an externally f i screwthreaded tubularmember adapted yto be extended through an opening formed through a door,a bracket structure fixed to said tubular member at the inner endthereof, a lockingfelement pivotally'supported by said bracket struc'-ture, an operating rod attached to said. locking element, saidoperating-rod including a portion which extendsvthrough an apertureformed through a wall portion of said locking element a and an upsetend' portion which prevents disenl gagement of said operating rod fromsaid locking element, said bracket structure having an openf ing formedin a Wall portion thereof into which said upset end portion of theoperating rod e'xtends and said upset end portion of said operating rodbeing adapted to contact with separated portions of the Wall ofsaidopening to llimit* movement of said lockingfelement in oppositedirections, a knob screwthreadedly supported vby said tubular member,and a button attached to;

said operating rod and supported by said knob for ment through movementof saideoperating rod.-

4. A latching 'device comprising a tubular member adapted to be extendedthrough an opening formed through a door, a ybracket structure fixed tosaid tubular member at the inner end thereof, a locking elementpivotally supported by saidrbracket structure, an operating rodattached,` to Vsaid locking element, said operating rod including an endportion which extends through ,l a

an aperture formed through a Wall portion of said s locking element,said bracket structure having an opening 'formed' in -a Wallportiontthereof i'nto rwhich said end portion of the operating'rod'ex-,tends rand said end portion 'of said operating rod y being 'adapted tocontact with separated por-tions of the wall of said opening to limitmovement of said locking element inoppositey directionsf,a 4knobsupported'by said 'tubular member,`and a.

button attached to said operating rod and sup`- ported ,byr said knobfor movement with respect thereto, said buttonbeing adapted to be dementyof said operating rod.-

. v. CHARLES tached to said operating rod and supportedby,k v said knobyfor movement with respect thereto,`

ADINFX."y

